Hair roller dispenser

ABSTRACT

WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE CLOG THE CHUTES. A DRAWER-LIKE TRAY IS PROVIDED BENEATH THE ROLLER RACKS FOR CONTAINING A VOLATILE DISINFECTANT SUCH AS FORMALDEHYDE. VAPORS FROM THE DISINFECTANT ARE PERMITTED TO CIRCULATE UPWARD THROUGH THE DISPENSER AND THROUGH PERFORATIONS IN THE ROLLER RACKS TO KEEP THE STORED ROLLERS IN A DISINFECTED CONDITION. THE DISPENSER IS MADE PORTABLE BY MOUNTED IT UPON A CASTER BASE.   THE DISCLOSED DISPENSER IS A TIMESAVING DEVICE FOR STORING DISINFECTING AND DISPENSING HAIR ROLLERS FOR THE TYPE COMMONLY USED BY LADIES&#39;&#39; HAIRDRESSERS. A FRAME CONTAINS A PLURALITY OF ROLLER RACKS STACKED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER. PRINCIPAL RIBS RUNNING DOWN EACH ROLLER RACK FORM A PLURALITY OF CHUTES IN WHICH HAIR ROLLERS CAN BE STORED AND DISPENSED. THE SPACING OF THE ROLLER RACKS IN THE FRAME, AND OF THE PRINCIPAL RIBS, PROVIDES CHUTES OF VARYING SIZE TO ACCOMMODATE VARIOUS SIZE ROLLERS. SECONDARY RIBS ARE PROVIDED BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF PRINCIPAL RIBS TO STRENGTHEN THE RACKS, TO GUIDE MISALIGNED ROLLERS AND TO FORM TRAPS FOR DEBRIS

April 13, 1971 M. A; S IANO 3,574,528

HAIR YRQLLER DISPENSER Filed Oct. 22, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MICHAEL A. .574 N0 BY BLAIR CESAR! AND 87'. ONGE ATTORNEYS April13, 1971 MASMNO 3,574,52

. HAIR ROLLER DISPENSER Filed bot. 22, 1968 Y v f2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MICHAEL A. S/ANO BY v BLAIR CESAR! AND ST ONGE ATTORNEYS United States Patent flice' 3,574,528 Patented Apr. 13, 1971 3,574,528 HAIR ROLLER DISPENSER Michael A. Siauo, 58 Scribner Ave., South Norwalk, Conn. Filed Oct. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 769,504 Int. Cl. A61l 3/00 US. Cl. 2191 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosed dispenser is a timesaving device for storing disinfecting and dispensing hair rollers for the type commonly used by ladies hairdressers. A frame contains a plurality of roller racks stacked one above the other. Principal ribs running down each roller rack form a plurality of chutes in which hair rollers can be stored and dispensed. The spacing of the roller racks in the frame, and of the principal ribs, provides chutes of varying size to accommodate various size rollers. Secondary ribs are provided between each pair of principal ribs to strengthen the racks, to guide misaligned rollers and to form traps for debris which would otherwise clog the chutes. A drawer-like tray is provided beneath the roller racks for containing a volatile disinfectant such as formaldehyde. Vapors from the disinfectant are permitted to circulate upward through the dispenser and through perforations in the roller racks to keep the stored rollers in a disinfected condition. The dispenser is made portable by mounting it upon a caster base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A constant problem for ladies hairdressers is the maintenance of a ready supply of clean hair rollers of the various sizes necessary for their work. The cylindrical shape of hair rollers makes them diflicult to store and susceptible to being lost or soiled as a result of their rolling off shelf or cabinet surfaces adjacent the hairdressers work station. Moreover, the many sizes of roller diameter and length used in the course of a days work makes it imperative that rollers of varying shape be kept separate, but easily accessible if the hairdresser is not to lose valuable time constantly searching for particular sizes from a mass of assorted rollers.

In addition to the storage and dispensing problem, state laws and requlations governing hairdressing often require that hair rollers be maintained sterile between uses. This has been difiicult in the past because the rollers after being given a disinfecting treatment have often been stacked loosely on surfaces adjacent the hairdressers station where they are subject to recontamination.

Accordingly, representative objects of the present invention are to provide an apparatus for disinfecting storing and dispensing hair rollers of varying sizes in a convenient, effective and timesaving manner, and which is attractive, inexpensive, easily fabricated and portable.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will will be indicated in the claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The hair roller dispenser of the invention is a portable rack-like structure which can store and dispense rollers according to size, and which includes means for disinfecting the rollers between uses.

The rollers are stored in chutes formed by principal ribs protruding from the surface of roller racks stacked one above the other in the dispenser. The ribs are spaced apart in accordance with the roller length a given chute is to accommodate, and the spacing between the roller racks determines the maximum width of roller a given chute will accept. The chutes on the roller racks are open at either extremity so that rollers can be loaded therein at one end and dispensed from the other. Thus the chutes serve as a convenient means for storing and separating rollers as to size while at the same time making them readily accessible for use.

Secondary ribs are also provided on the roller racks between the principal ribs. Spaces provided between the secondary ribs, and between the secondary ribs and the principal ribs serve as convenient traps for stray hairpins and other debris which may fall into the dispenser and thus serve to keep these objects from clogging the chutes and preventing passage of the rollers. In addition, the secondary ribs act to guide misaligned rollers out of the chute without jamming, add strength to the roller rack and aid in the circulation of disinfectant vapors as discussed below.

The roller racks are stacked in a frame which is preferably mounted on a caster base. The caster base provides portability so that the dispenser can be readily moved around as the hairdresser works, or moved from work station to work station as needs require. The frame, in addition to the roller racks, may also include storage space for other hairdressing accessories used in conjunction with the rollers.

Means are also provided in the dispenser for maintaining rollers which have previously been disinfected in their disinfected condition during storage. In general, a drawerlike disinfectant tray containing a volatile disinfectant such as formaldehyde is provided under the dispenser frame. Vapors from the disinfectant are permitted to continuous ly circulate up through the roller racks and into contact with the rollers. Preferably, portions of each roller rack are perforated to facilitate the circulation of the vapors. Thus, rollers returned to the dispenser and stored therein are constantly subjected to a disinfecting treatment. This keeps the stored rollers sterile as required by law While not interfering with their accessibility to the hairdresser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the dispenser of the invention showing the removable disinfectant tray thereof.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and showing the storage of hair rollers in the dispenser.

FIG. 3 is a partial top plan view of the dispenser taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a roller rack of the type used in the dispenser.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts thoughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, the hair roller dispenser comprises a frame composed in part of two side panels 10 and 12 made from a sanitary material such as plastic or coated metal. Each side panel 10 and 12 has a continuous flange respectively 14 and 16 which extends inwardly around the periphery thereof. Side panels 10 and 12 may be of any convenient shape, but preferably, for aesthetic purposes each is made as shown in FIG. 1 with an arcuate shape. Side panels 10 and 12 are joined in parallel spaced relation by a curved back panel 18 (FIG. 2) secured to the arcuate portions 14a and 16a of flanges 14 and 16 by screws, rivets, adhesive or the like. It can be seen from FIG. 2 that back panel 18 preferably extends over approximately one-half the length of the arcuate edge of each side panel and 12.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the top of the roller dispenser frame is secured by a tray member 20 fastened to the top flange portions 14b and 16b of side panels 10 and 12. Tray member 20 may be provided with two recesses 22 and 24 which serve as trays for holding hairdressing accessories. It will be understood however, that tray member 20 may be provided with other types of storage compartments as desired.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two rows of chutes 26 and 28 are provided to receive the hair rollers stored within the dispenser. The chutes are formed by a pair of curved roller racks 3t) and 32 stacked one over the other within the dispenser between side panels 10 and 12 and each having a substantially upright portion 30a and 32a and an inclined portion 30b and 32b (FIG. 2). Although two roller racks have been shown in preferred embodiments, it will be understood that any number of racks may be provided without departing from the scope of the invention. The lower rack 30 is secured at its upper edge to a flange 34 extending from the front of tray member 20, and at its bottom edge to the flanges 14c and 16c along the front of side panels 10 and 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Upper roller rack 32 is mounted in the dispenser over, and in spaced parallel relation to lower roller rack 30; it is secured at both its top and bottom edges to flanges 14c and 160 on side panels 10 and 12 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, each roller rack comprises a curved panel having a plurality of longitudinal ribs projecting from the front surface thereof. These ribs define the chutes 26 and 28 for the hair rollers in the dispenser. Roller racks 30 and 32 are preferably formed of plastic or the like and have the ribs integrally molded therein. Racks 30 and 32 may, however, be of metal in which case the ribs may be stamped. The ribs may also be formed separately and then secured to each rack.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, each chute is bounded by a pair of principal ribs 36 spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the length of the rollers to be accommodated in the chute. As shown in FIG. 1, the spacing of principal ribs 36 may be varied over the width of the roller rack to provide chutes for various length rollers. Principal ribs 36 are preferably bevelled at their upper and lower ends to substantially match the slope of the front flanges 14c and 16c of side panels 10 and 12 when assembled (FIG. 1). Accordingly, there are no corners on principal ribs 36 which can protrude from the front of the dispenser.

Still referring to FIG. 4, a pair of secondary ribs 38 are provided between each pair of principal ribs 36. Secondary ribs 38 are generally lower than principal ribs 36 so that they form runners for the rollers in the chutes; they are spaced in a manner to provide a groove 40 centered between principal ribs 36, and a pair of shallow channels 42 between secondary ribs 38 and principal ribs 36. Secondary ribs 38 serve several functions, one of which is to strengthen the roller rack. Also, hair rollers which become misaligned as they move down a chute will tend to fall lengthwise into the groove 48 formed between the secondary ribs 38. In this way the rollers which become misaligned traverse the length of the chute at right angles to their intended orientation but without becoming jammed as they might if they remained diagonally disposed within the chute.

In addition, groove 40 and the shallow channels 42 which are formed by secondary ribs 38 serve as traps in which debris such as hair pins and similar small articles accidentally dropped into the dispenser may collect. It can be seen from FIG. 2 that the rollers 44 in the 4 dispenser ride in chutes 26 and 28 on the upper surfaces of the secondary ribs 38 and therefore over any material in the traps formed by grooves 40 and channels 42. Thus, material inadvertently dropped into the dispenser does not clog the chutes so that the rollers becomes jammed.

Stop means are provided at the exit end of each chute 26 and 28 to keep the hair rollers from inadvertently falling out of the dispenser. As shown in FIG. 1, the stop means for the upper rack 32 is a rod 46 extending over the bevelled lower ends of principal ribs 36 and secured to flanges 14c and 16c on the front side panels 10 and 12. Referring to FIG. 2, rod 46 serves to keep rollers 44 within chute 28 until they are needed; then they can be manually lifted out by inserting a finger into groove 40 under the front roller and lifting it over rod 46. To facilitate finger insertion, upper roller rack 32 may be provided with a finger cut-out 48 at the exit end of each groove 40 as shown in FIG. 4.

The stop means for lower tray 30 comprises an angle bar 50 (FIGS. 1 and 2) having its upper leg 50a extended across the exits of chutes 26 and its lower leg 50b secured to the end of roller rack 30. In use, rollers 44 in chutes 26 are removed by manually lifting them over upper leg 50a of stop bar 50.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the maximum diameter of the hair rollers which can be accommodated in chutes 26 and 28 is dependent upon the width of the opening at the entrance into the chutes. The width of the entrance opening into chutes 26 is determined by the amount of spacing between the upper and lower roller racks 32 and 30 respectively. This spacing may be regulated by the height of the principal ribs 36 on lower roller rack 30 which determines the minimum separation between racks 30 and 32. Large rollers may be accommodated in chutes 26 either by spacing the back of roller rack 32 further from lower rack 30 or by increasing the height of the principal ribs 36 on lower rack 30. It will also be noted that upper rack 32 serves as a cover for the chutes 26 in lower rack 30 to prevent the rollers from falling out of the dispenser.

A similar cover for the upper roller rack 32 is provided by a curved sheet 52 (FIG. 2). Sheet 52 conforms to the curvature of upper rack 32 and rests on and is secured to the upper surfaces of its principal ribs 36.

A cover plate 54 (FIGS. 1 and '2) is provided over sheet 52 and secured to flanges 14c and on the front of side panels 10 and 12. Cover plate 54 serves an aesthetic function and as a base for mounting a handle 55 preferably affixed to the dispenser to aid in moving it about. More importantly however, cover plate 54 serves to determine the width of the opening at the entrance into the chutes 28 of upper rack 32. As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, by making cover plate 54 wider or by shifting its position upward along side panels 10 and 12, the entrance opening into chutes 28 may be constricted so that only smaller rollers can be accommodated. In this way chutes 28 can be adjusted to accept rollers of only a desired maximum diameter and to prevent the inadvertent loading therein of larger rollers. In the preferred embodiment shown, the chutes in the lower rack 30 have been adjusted to receive larger hair rollers than those accommodated in upper roller rack 32, but it will be understood that the relative sizes of the chutes can be reversed or made equal as desired.

As discussed above, the laws and regulations of many states require that hair rollers be maintained in a disinfected condition between uses. To accomplish this the dispenser is provided, as shown in FIG. 1, with a drawerlike disinfectant tray 56 slidably mounted under lower roller rack 30. Flanges 58 at either side of tray 56 are received in a pair of grooved rails 60 (FIG. 2) secured to the inner surface of side panels 10 and 12 under roller rack 30. The slidable nature of tray 56 permits it to be removed from the dispenser by means of a grip 62 for cleaning and recharging with disinfectant.

The disinfectant used in tray 56 may be in solid, liquid or other form so long as it is volatile so that its vapors can circulate and pervade the interior of the dispenser. When liquid disinfectant such as formaldehyde is used, an absorbent pad 64 of, for example, synthetic foam is preferably placed in the bottom of tray 56 to prevent any sloshing or spilling of liquid disinfectant when the dispenser is moved.

To facilitate the circulation of disinfectant vapors through the dispenser, roller racks 30 and 32 are preferably perforated in their inclined portions 30b and 32b. As shown in FIG. 4, a series of perforations 55 are provided in the bottom of channel 40 between each pair of secondary ribs 38. Since rollers 44 ride on the upper surfaces of the secondary ribs 38, spaced from the perforations in the bottom of channel 40, vapors can readily circulate up through the dispenser and into contact with rollers 44. The various ribs, channels and grooves in each roller rack also help to evenly circulate the vapors to make the disinfecting process more effective.

It is desirable that the hair roller dispenser be portable; accordingly, it is preferably provided with a caster base 68 as shown in 'FIG. 1. A support pole 70 (FIG. 2) is secured to a plate 72 affixed to back panel 18 and is telescopically received within a tubular base column 74. A thumb screw 76 threaded through base column 74 permits the height of the dispenser to be adjusted as desired. Base column 74 preferably has a plurality of legs 78 extending from its lower end and caster wheels 80 may be mounted on legs 78 to permit the dispenser to be easily rolled in any direction.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

. Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for storing, dispensing and disinfecting hair rollers or the like comprising, in combination,

(A) a frame,

(13) a plurality of roller racks supported in spaced relation in said frame, one above the other, with said spacing conforming to the maximum roller diameter to be received in the chutes of a given roller rack, each said roller rack comprising (1) a curved panel supported with a first portion thereof substantially upright and a second portion thereof on an incline,

(2) a plurality of principal ribs running down said upright and inclined portions and spaced apart to form a plurality of chutes for accepting hair rollers of predetermined widths,

(3) at least one pair of secondary ribs between each pair of said principal ribs, said secondary ribs being lower than said principal ribs to form runners for said rollers and spaced apart and from said principal ribs to form grooves and channels in said rack for, inter alia, trapping debris and guiding misaligned hair rollers down said chutes,

(4) means forming perforations in portions of each said roller rack between said principal ribs, and

(C) disinfecting means comprising a drawer-like tray supported below said roller racks and containing an absorbent pad for retaining a volatile liquid disinfectant whereby vapors therefrom can circulate up through said perforations in said roller racks to pervade the interior of said dispenser.

2. A dispenser as defined in claim 1 including means limiting the width of the entrance openings into said chutes of the uppermost of said roller racks to preclude rollers having a diameter greater than a predetermined maximum value.

3. A dispenser as defined in claim 1 including storage means on said frame for hairdressing accessories.

4. A dispenser as defined in claim 1 and further including a caster base supporting said dispenser to render it portable.

5. A dispenser as defined in claim 4 including a telescopic portion in said caster base for adjusting the height of said dispenser.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 79,023 6/1868 Steward 312 128,262 6/ 1872 Thompson 312-45 1,693,231 2/1927 Gruber 312-45X 2,641,112 6/1953 Mufily 312--45X 3,157,445 11/1964 Aversa 312-45 3,194,620 7/ 1965 Sauer 312-45 3,304,141 2/1967 Rogers 31Z45 3,306,688 2/1967 Di Domenico 221312X 3,375,057 3/1968 Morris 21-91 3,393,808 7/ 1968 Chirchill 312-45X JOSEPH SCOVARONE, Primary Examiner D. G. MILLMAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

